美国陆军开发了新的“战斗体能测试”

US Army Develops New ‘Combat¹ Fitness² Test’

The United States Army has developed a new physical fitness test that aims to prepare soldiers for real-life combat situations.

The Army's current physical fitness test covers three main activities: sit-ups, push-ups and a 3.2-kilometer run. It has to be completed in two hours.

The new test will include six events to complete in 50 minutes. The exam adds more difficult and complex exercises, including a strength dead lift, standing³ power throw and “drag and carry.”

The new test comes after many Army commanders expressed concerns in recent years that new soldiers are not physically⁴ fit. A public opinion study last year looked into the situation. It found almost half of commanders questioned said that newly⁵ arriving soldiers could not meet the physical demands of combat.

Army officials have also said about 12 percent of soldiers at any one time cannot deploy⁶ to combat areas because of injuries.

General Stephen Townsend is head of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine⁷ Command. He told the Associated Press that many top officials have long thought that the existing fitness test does not effectively measure the physical qualities needed for battle.

Townsend said the new test “may be harder, but it is necessary.”

For many, meeting the new fitness levels will be difficult. The old test rated soldiers differently based on their age and gender⁸. The new one will be far more physically demanding and will not consider age or sex.

Townsend said the new test was designed based on scientific research that attempts to link exercises to actual combat activities. Such things could include running away from fire, carrying a wounded soldier or carrying heavy equipment.

The scoring is divided into three levels that require soldiers with more physically demanding jobs to score higher.

Sergeant⁹ Major Harold Sampson told the AP he does not have a physically demanding job. As a military intelligence specialist stationed at Fort¹⁰ Bragg, North Carolina, he spends a lot of time sitting inside an office.

He expressed concerns about being fit enough to pass the new test. After attending a preparation exercise two days before he was to take the test, Sampson said he felt prepared to be “embarrassed.”

Army Major General Malcolm Frost is commander of the Army’s Center for Initial¹¹ Military Training. He was in charge of developing the new fitness test. “We needed to change the culture of fitness in the United States Army,” Frost said. “The goal is about having a more combat-ready army,” he added.

Frost said a major problem has been that about one-third of soldiers entering the service leave before their third year. Many do so because of muscular¹² or skeletal injuries. The new test, he said, will help identify those who are less physically fit or lack the necessary mental discipline.

The new test will clearly add difficulty for officers like Harold Sampson and others with non-physical jobs. “It breaks the mindset of ‘I am an intel soldier,’” Sampson said. “It changes it to ‘I am a soldier,’ because bullets¹³ on the battlefield don’t discriminate¹⁴.”

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

combat – n. a fight, especially in war

drag – v. pull someone or something across the ground

embarrassed – adj. feeling or showing shame or awkwardness¹⁵

discipline – n. the control of people's behaviour using rules and punishments

discriminate – v. to notice a difference between two things

1 combat   

n.战斗，斗争，格斗；vt.与...斗争，与...战斗

参考例句：

• The police are now using computers to help combat crime.警方现在使用电脑打击犯罪活动。
• A reporter interviewed the combat hero.记者访问了这位战斗英雄。

2 fitness   

n.适合，适当，健康，健身

参考例句：

• They're doing exercises to improve their fitness.他们为增强体质而做体操。
• No one questions her fitness for the job.没人怀疑她能胜任这项工作。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

5 newly   

adv.新近，最近；重新，再度；以新的方式

参考例句：

• Have you reviewed for this newly published novel?你给这本新出版的小说写书评了吗？
• It is a newly planted tree and it has not established yet.这是一颗新栽的树，还没有扎下根来。

6 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

7 doctrine   

n.教义；主义；学说

参考例句：

• He was impelled to proclaim his doctrine.他不得不宣扬他的教义。
• The council met to consider changes to doctrine.宗教议会开会考虑更改教义。

8 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

9 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

10 fort   

n.要塞，堡垒，碉堡

参考例句：

• The fort can not be defended against an air attack.这座要塞遭到空袭时无法防御。
• No one can get into the fort without a pass.没有通行证，任何人不得进入要塞。

11 initial   

adj.最初的，开始的，词首的；n.首字母，姓名的开头字母；vt.标注姓名的首字母于

参考例句：

• After she'd overcome her initial shyness,she became very friendly.她克服了起初的羞怯之后，变得十分友善。
• The experiments have given initial results eventually.那些试验总算初见成效了。

12 muscular   

adj.肌肉发达的，强壮的，（有关）肌（肉）的

参考例句：

• He is a muscular young man.他是个健壮的年轻人。
• The player is tall and muscular.那名运动员身高力大。

13 bullets   

n.弹药；军火

参考例句：

• The bodies of the hostages were found riddled with bullets. 在人质的尸体上发现了很多弹孔。
• The bullets and cannon-balls were flying in all directions. 子弹和炮弹到处乱飞。

14 discriminate   

v.区别，辨别，区分；有区别地对待

参考例句：

• You must learn to discriminate between facts and opinions.你必须学会把事实和看法区分出来。
• They can discriminate hundreds of colours.他们能分辨上百种颜色。

15 awkwardness   

n.笨拙；粗劣；难为情；尴尬

参考例句：

• His awkwardness made him fumble with the key. 由于尴尬不安，他拿钥匙开锁时显得笨手笨脚。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I tried to smooth over the awkwardness of this first meeting. 我试图掩饰初次会面时的不自然。 来自辞典例句